Blade assembly for earth moving machine



Nov. 7, 1961 w. E. HARRs BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR EARTH MOVING MACHINE 2 .Smeets-Shea?l 1 Filed oct. 21, 1960 A. :fi

A INVENTOR W /fq /P/P/s AT'TORNEY Nov. 7, 1961 w. E. HARRls 3,007,265

BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR EARTH MOVING MACHINE Filed 001,. 21, 1960 2 sheets-shea 2 ,United States Patent O ice e 3,007,265 BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR EARTH MOVING MACHINE William E. Harris, 3245 Park Ave., Paducah, Ky. Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,044 7 c1aims. (cl. afl- 144) 'I'his invention relates. to a novel construction of blade assembly `and a novel means for attachment thereof to a prime mover or earth moving machine to enable the earth moving blade of the blade assembly to be raised or; lowered, tilted and angularly adjusted relative to the prime mover to position the blade at a desired angle and depth relative to the prime mover and to the earth to be moved by the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blade assembly including lluid pressure responsive means capable of being selectively operated from a point remote from the blade assembly to elfect raising, lowering tilting and angular adjustment of the blade.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide Va blade assembly wherein the earth moving blade is equipped with a bottom digging or cutting edge capable of being angularly adjusted relative to the plane of the face of the blade.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, showing the blade mounting assembly in an applied position; j

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view, partly broken away thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the blade assembly looking from right to left of FIGURES 1 and 2; p

.FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of a part of the unit, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5,-5 of, FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 ^is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sec` tional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1; v

FIGURE 7 is a viewv primarily diagrammatic and partially in section showing one'V of the pressure responsive' units of the blade assembly, and

lFIGURE Sis a view similar to FIGURE 7 of another pressureresponsive unit.A v l p Referring more specifically to the drawings, the blade assembly in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally-10 and includes an elongated rigid mounting member 11 which is disposed beyond an end of a prime mover,` such as a tractor, with said member 11 preferably being disposed beyond 'a forward end 12 of such a prime mover. and being supported thereby andv rigidly secured thereto by two brace members 13 which are suitably'V xedgto or formed integral with the forward: end 12 of `theprime mover and'with said mount-J ing member 11.r 'Ifhe mounting member 11 has a substantially `:dat vertical front side 14 which is provided with two grooves or channels V15'- which open therethrough and through atop-surface 16'and a bottom surface 17 of the mounting member 11. The'grooves 15 are located near the ends of the member 11 and are of T-shaped cross section, as seen in FIGURE 1. The mounting member 11 is 'also'provided at its ends with supporting arms or brackets'18 which are secured to its top surface '16 and which extend upwardly and forwardly therefrom beyond the front face 14, as seen in FIGURE 4.

'I'he blade assembly 10 also includes an elongated blade 3 ,007,265 Patented Nov. 7, 1 961 to one another and at right angles tothe rear wall 20.

The blade support 19 is disposed in front of the mounting member 111 with the rear wall 20 spaced from and disposed substantially parallel to the front face 14.

A pair of elongated members of T-shaped cross section, designated generally 2'4 and 25, slidably engage in the grooves 1S- for up and down sliding movement relative to the mounting member 1,1 and are engageable withand disengageable from said grooves only through the open upper and lower ends thereof. Each of the members 24 and 25 has a restricted portion 26 which projects forwardly from the narrow outer or forward portion 27 of itsV groove 15. Each member 24 and 25- includes a stem or neck 28 of circular cross section which projects forwardly from a part of its restricted portion 26, as best seen in FIGURE 5, and Aan enlargement or head 29 at the outer end of the stem or neck 28 which is spaced from the portion 26. The stem 28 of the member 25 lits turnably in a circular opening 30 of the rear wall 20 and the stem 28 of the member 24 ts slidably and turnably in a horizontally elongated opening 31 of the wall 20. The openings 30 and 31 are disposed in alignment with one another, as seen in L'FIGURE 2. The heads 29' are disposed on the forward side of the wall 20 whereby the members 24 and 25 are attached to said wall 20 to form a part of the blade support 19. The heads 29 may be detachably connected to stems 28 or the stems 28 may be detachably mounted in the portions 26, as by means of threaded connections, or the heads 29 may be formedY on the stems 28 after the stems have been engaged through the openings 30 and 31.

Bracket elements 32 are rigidly connected to and project outwardly from the lower ends of end anges 23 and are disposed beyond thevends of the blade support 19 and adjacent its bottom wall 21. The closed end of a cylinder 3-3 of a lluid pressure responsive unit is pivotally connected by a fastening 34 to each bracket 32. The cylinders 33 of the two fluid pressure responsive units 3K5 and 36 extend upwardly from the brackets 3-2. Each unit has a piston 37 slidably mounted in the cylinder 33 and a piston rod 3-7 which extends from said piston slidably through the other upper end of the cylinder. The upper ends of the piston rods 37 are pivotally connected by fastenings 38 to the forward ends ofthe arms 18, which are located above the brackets 32. Each cylinder 33 has conduits 3,9 and 40 which communicate therewith and extend from end portions thereof, and each of which conduits is connected to a supply line 41 and a return line 42 vby a conventional valve 43, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 7. The blade support 19 is supported on the mounting member 11 by the two fluid pressure responsive units 35 and 3,6, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

The blade assembly 10 also includes an earth moving blade 44 which is elongated .and preferably of a length greater than the length of the blade support 19. The blade 44 has rearwardly extending top and bottom walls 45 and 46, respectively. A rigid tube 47 extends between and is secured to the walls 45 and 46 in registration with openings 48 thereof. The tube 47 is located midway of the lends of the walls -45 'and 4-6 and remote from the blade 44. The walls are spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between the walls 21 and 22, and the portions thereofV in which the openings 48 are formed, fit rotatably between said walls 21 and 22 with the openings 48 in alignment with externally anged openings 49 of the walls 21 and 22. The openings 49 are 3 located midway of the ends of the walls 21 and 22 and remote from the rear wall 20. A pin 50 engages detachably through the openings 49 and 48 and the tube 47 for mounting the blade 44 for swinging movement about the axis of the pin 50 relative to the blade support 19 and the mounting member 11.

A second pair of tiuid pressure responsive units =1 and 52 extend between the blade 44 and the rear wall 20 and are located between the bottom walls 21 land 46 and the top walls 22 and 45. The closed ends of the cylinders 53 of the units Si and 52 are pivot-ally connected by fastenings 54 to the wall 20 and the outer ends of the piston rods 55 of said units 51 and 52 are pivotally connected by fastenings 56 to the blade 44. The units 51 and y52 are disposed on opposite sides of and spaced substantial distances from the pivot 50. The units 51 and 52 differ from the units 35 and 36, in that each cylinder 5-3 has only one conduit 57 which communicates therewith adjacent its closed end `ancl which conduit is connected to a supply line 58 and a return line 59 by a conventional valve 60, as illustrated Vin FIGURE 8, for pressurizing the cylinder 53 to exert a force on the piston 61, contained therein, to move the piston rod 55 to an extended position.

The blade 44 includes a separate angularly yadjustable bottom edge section 62 which extends substantially from end-to-end thereof and which includes -a portion 63 of circular cross section and a blade portion 64 of triangular cross section which projects laterally outward from a part of the portion 63 and which extends to adjacent the ends thereof. The portion 63 is mounted to oscillate beneath the blade 44 by means of inwardly opening socket shaped end bearings 65, in which exposed ends of the portion 63 are journaled, and an intermediate bearing 66 which engages around the intermediate portion of the part 63 and through a notch 67 of the blade edge 64. The bearings 65 and 66 are secured as by fastenings 63 to the blade 44.

A iluid pressure responsive unit 69 includes a cylinder 70 which is swingably suspended by abracket 71 from .the top wall 45 for swinging movement toward and away from the blade 44, as best seen in FIGURE 4, and which has an extensible piston rod 72 extending from its lower end through a large opening 73 in the bottom wall 46. The lower end of the piston rod 72 is pivotally connected -by a fastening 74' to a lever arm 74 which projects from .the member 63 and which is disposed behind the blade edge 64. The pressure responsive unit 69 is identical with each of the units 35 and 36 and includes conduits 79 and 80, corresponding to the conduits 39 land 40, respectively, each of which is associated with a supply line and a return line and controlled by a valve, as illustrated in :FIGURE 7.

To lower the blade support 19 and blade 44, relative to the mounting member 11, the valves 43 of the lines 40 are adjusted to position the diametrical bores 75 thereof in communication with the lines 40 and the supply lines 41, after which the valves 43, associated with the lines 39 of said units 35 and 36, are adjusted so that the radial bores 76 are in communication with the lines 39 and one end of the diametrical bores 75 is in communication with the return lines 42. Since the radial bore 76 connects with the diametrical bore 75, the fluid medium under pressure will flow from the cylinder 33 of each unit l35 and 36 through the line 39 and its valve 43 `to the return line 42, allowing yfluid under pressure to Vbe supplied at the same time through the lines 40 to said cylinders 33 on the opposite sides of the pistons 37 for forcing the pistons 37 and rods 37 downwardly, to lower the blade support 19 and blade 44 relative to the mounting 1-1. When the parts have been lowered to a desired extent, the valves 43 of the lines 39 are turned slightly in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 7, to close said valves, after which the valves 43 of the lines 40 are turned slightly in a counterclockwise direc-' tion for closing said last mentioned valves. The valves are turned through arcs of less than 90 to closed positions. lIt will be understood that the members 24 and 25 slide in the channels 15 .as the blade support 19 is lowered relative to the mounting member 11. Conversely, the blade support 19 and blade 44 can be raised relative to the mounting member 11 by positioning the bores 75 in alignment with the conduits 39 and supply lines 41 and thereafter positioning the bores 76 in communication with the lines 40 `and so that the bores 75 of the valves 43 associated with the lines 40 will then communicate with the return lines 42.

If it is desired to tilt the blade support y19 and blade 44 about an axis disposed crosswise of said parts, one ofthe fluid pressure responsive units'35 or 36'can be actuated as previously described to either extend or retractthe piston rod 37' thereof to lower or raise, respectively, the end of .the blade support 219 connected thereto. In accomplishing this tilting operation, the' member 24 or 25, looated adjacent the Huid responsive member which is actuated, will slide in its groove 15, and the stem 28 of .the member 24, through its turnable and slidable engagement with `the slot 31, will allow the wall 20 to pivot and slide relative to the member 24, while the opening 30 will allow the wall 20 to pivot relative to the stem 28 of themember 25. =It will thus be seen that the units 35 and 36 allow the blade and blade support to be raised, lowered or tilted laterally of the prima mover in either direction.

In any position of adjustment of the blade support 19 relative to the mounting member 11, the blade 44 can be angularly adjusted relative to the blade support 19 about the pivot axis Sil. This -is accomplished by positioning the valve 60, as seen in FIGURE 8, of one of the units 51 or 52, in the position of FIGURE 8 with its diametrical lbore 77 communicating with the conduit 57 and supply conduit 58. The valve of the other unit is then turned to a position 90 from that shown in lFIGURE 8 in a counterclockwise direction, with its radial bore 78 communicating with the line 57 and one end of it-sdi-ametr-ical bore 77 communicating with the return line 59, or corresponding to lthe position of the lower valve 43 of FIGURE 7. The cylinder 53 of the lirst mentioned unit will then be pressurized to extend the piston rod thereof, while pressure is being released from the cylinder y53 of the other unit, lto swing the blade 44 about the pivot 50, For example, if the unit 51 is pressurized and extended, the blade 44 will swing counterclockwise as seen in FIGURE 1. The valves 60 are normally maintained in closed positions for maintaining a desired pressure on each of the units 51 and 52 to retain the blade 44 in al selected angularly adjusted position.

The pressure responsive unit 69 corresponds identically to the units 35` and l36, except that it is disposed in an inverted position and may .be operated in the same manner as previously described in reference to the units 35 and 36, and as illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 7, for extending or retracting the piston rod 72 and for maintaining said piston rod-in desired adjusted positions. FIGURE 4 shows the blade edge 64 in anormal operative position extending-downwardly and forwardly for scraping and digging. To release theyxnaterialwhichhas been scraped andy dug and which is being carried byl the blade 44, pressure is supplied to the cylinder 70 through its lower conduit l and is released therefrom through the upper conduit 79 to retract the piston rod 72. This exerts an upward pull on the lever arm 74 for turning the blade section 62 counterclockwise, as seen in FIGURE 4. The blade section 62 is normally turned counterclockwise through an arc of about 60 from its position of FIGURE 4 so that the blade edge 64 will then be inclined downwardly and rearwardly rather than downwardly and' forwardly, as shown, to what constitutes a dumping position to allow' the earth to pass under the blade edge 64. In this manner earth which has been previously dug or scraped and is being carried by the blade 44 can be released vfor filling a depression, Where the blade is being utilized for leveling.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A blade `assembly for an earth moving machine comprising a mounting member adapted to be rigidly secured to and supported by a prime mover, said mounting member being disposed beyond an end of the prime mover and crosswise thereof, an elongated blade support disposed in front of said mounting member and longitudinally thereof, means connecting said blade support to the mounting member for vertical sliding movement of the blade support relative to the mounting member and for rocking movement of said blade support relative to the mounting member about horizontal axes disposed crosswise of the blade support and mounting member, an elongated earth moving blade, said blade support being disposed parallel to the blade and between said blade and the mounting member, means pivotally connecting the blade to the blade support for angular adjustment of the blade relative to the blade support about an axis disposed crosswise of the axes of tilting movement of the blade support relative to the mounting member, means connecting the blade support to the mounting member for raising, lowering and tilting the blade support and blade relative to said mounting member, and means connected to the blade support and blade for angularly adjusting the blade relative to said blade support about the axis of said means pivotally connecting the blade to the blade support.

2. A blade assembly for an earth moving machine as in claim l, said blade inclu-ding a separate bottom edge section, means mou-nting said bottom edge section on the blade for turning movement of the bottom edge section relative to the blade about an axis disposed longitudinally of said blade and bottom section, and means connected to said blade `and to the bottom edge section thereof for turning and angularly adjusting said bottom edge section relative to the plane of the blade.

3. A blade assembly for an earth moving machine as in claim 2, said last mentioned means comprising a uid pressure responsive unit.

4. A blade Iassembly for an earth moving machine as in claim l, said means connecting the blade support to the mounting member for raising, lowering and tilting the blade support and blade comprising fluid pressure responsive unit-s connected to end portions of said blade suppor-t.

5. A blade assembly for an earth moving machine as in claim l, said means connected tothe blade support and blade for angularly adjusting the blade relative to the blade support comprising fluid pressure responsive units straddling the means pivotally connecting the blade to the blade support.

`6. A blade assembly for an earth moving machine as in claim 1, said @rst mentioned means comprising forwardly opening slots of T-shaped cross section formed in said mounting member, two members of T-shaped cross section slidably engaging in said slots and having parts projecting forwardly therefrom and connected to longitudinally spaced portions of the blade support, one of said parts being swivelly connected to the blade support and the other of said parts being swivelly and slidably connected to the blade support for sliding movement of said last mentioned part longitudinally of the blade support.

7. A blade assembly for an earth moving machine comprising an elongated mounting member adapted to be rigidly connected to and disposed beyond an end and crosswise of a prime mover, an elongated earth moving blade spaced outwardly from and disposed substantially parallel to said mounting member, an elongated blade support disposed between the blade and mounting member and substantially parallel thereto, a pivot element pivotally connecting said blade to the blade support for swinging movement of the blade relative to the blade support about an axis disposed crosswise of the blade and blade support, connecting means connecting said blade support to the mounting member for up and down movement of the blade support and blade relative to the mounting member and for tilting movement of the blade support and blade relative to the mounting member about axes disposed at a right angle to the axis of said pivot element and crosswise of the mounting member and blade support, supporting means connecting the blade support to the mounting member for raising, lowering and tilting the blade support and blade relative to the mounting member, and extensible means connecting the blade support and blade for angularly `adjusting `the blade relative to the blade support about the axis of said pivot element.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,122 Stout Jan. 28, 1936 2,869,254 Weeks Jan. 2.0, 1959 2,927,388 Skromme Mal'. 8, 1960 2,950,550 French Aug. 3.0, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 202,588 Austria Mar. l0, 1959 

